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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24195601">It's Nice to Have a Friend</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sae_what/pseuds/sae_what'>sae_what</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>songs that bullied me to write fics [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Based on a Taylor Swift Song, Blushing, Childhood Friends, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Flustered Adrien Agreste, Friends to Lovers, Holding Hands, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Married Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Pillow &amp; Blanket Forts, Pining, Sleepovers, Songfic, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, adrienette - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:15:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,589</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24195601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sae_what/pseuds/sae_what</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Friendships are easy. Beyond that? Different story. </p><p>If he gets to experience this story with Marinette, though, Adrien will take his chances if it means staying with her beyond their years of childhood and throughout marriage.</p><p>Based on the song It's Nice to Have a Friend by Taylor Swift.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>songs that bullied me to write fics [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2251715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It's Nice to Have a Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Inspired by the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaP1VswBF28">It’s Nice to Have a Friend by Taylor Swift</a>.</p><p>I swear this has been an idea in my head for a reallyyyyy long time, and it took me months after the release of Taylor Swift’s Lover album to finally write this. </p><p>This song suits Adrienette way too well. I had to write this. </p><p>Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>School bell rings, walk me home</em>
</p><p><br/>
<em>Sidewalk chalk covered in snow</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Marinette scurried from her seat hastily once the bell rang. The speed of her feet caught the rest of her off-guard, almost tripping with her own two feet before she recovered. </p><p>Adrien gripped onto her arm just in time, as Marinette let out a sigh of relief. </p><p>“Ah, crud… I did it again!” Marinette huffed defeatedly. </p><p>“This is, what, the fifth time this week that you almost tripped on your own two feet?” Adrien teased.</p><p>“Five times?” Marinette exclaimed. “Okay, you’re not counting right. That’s a hyperbole!”</p><p>“Wow, <em>hyperbole</em>. Are you actually paying attention in class?”</p><p>“I’m glad you asked, Adrien. I’ve been napping less in class, actually!” She rested her hands on her hips as she cracked a wide grin. </p><p>“Proud of you, Marinette,” he snickered, patting her on the shoulder. </p><p>As he walked with her to the locker room, Marinette offered Adrien some extra cookies she had baked for the class. Marinette would just itch to bake something for her classmates each week. She loved sharing her own homemade pastries to the class. Her enthusiasm to share her goodies would always be something Adrien would appreciate and never take for granted; this type of thing really was something Marinette would do, after all.</p><p>They finally exited the school building after hurriedly throwing on their coats and watched the snow cascade quietly and land softly on the sidewalk snow. Adrien deeply inhaled the cool breeze that stung his nostrils as the wind gently brushed against his rosy cheeks. </p><p>Excitement rushed over him as they walked to Marinette’s place. He could practically taste her parents’ baked goods. The mere thought of seeing the Dupain-Chengs made him feel warm, eliminating any chill he was feeling from the winter day. </p><p>As Marinette shoved her hand into one jacket pocket, then quickly the other, her eyes slowly widened with realization. </p><p>Adrien turned to meet the girl’s eyes. “What is it?”</p><p>She slapped her forehead and let out a disappointed groan. “Why am I such an airhead? I left one of my gloves back at the locker room! Lemme run back—“</p><p>“Wait, you can have mine,” Adrien countered as he held out a mitten-clothed hand. </p><p>Marinette scrunched her brows with skepticism. “But aren’t you going to be cold?”</p><p>Adrien perked up as he made a clever suggestion. “Not unless we share.”</p><p>“Share?”</p><p>“Yeah! We can share the mitten, for my left hand and one for your right hand.”</p><p>Marinette lifted a brow. “Seriously?”</p><p>“I think it’ll be way more effective. It’s called exchanging body heat,” he smiled playfully. </p><p>Marinette let out a snort of laughter, giving in to her friend’s suggestion. She slipped her cold hand into Adrien’s gloved one — or struggling to — before finally succeeding. </p><p>“Huh, you’re right! This is <em>much</em> better!” Marinette beamed. </p><p>On the other hand, Adrien was now having second thoughts about his plan, his cheeks flushing from a light pink to a glowing red. </p><p>He felt Marinette’s soft skin brush up against his inside the mitten, insecurity washing over him. His hands were way too sweaty! What if Marinette thought it was gross or something?</p><p>Before Adrien could continue ruminating, Marinette blurted, “Wanna hang out?”</p><p>“Huh?” was the only thing Adrien managed to muster. </p><p>“You always walk me home, so why not spend some time together? Besides, my parents are always bugging me to have you stay over.”</p><p>“Oh!” Adrien let out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah! Sounds like fun.”</p><p>Slowly, Adrien felt the tips of Marinette’s fingers grow warmer as the heat radiated from her skin. Adrien wouldn’t dare to hold her hand though. The glove itself was doing a fine job of keeping her hands from freezing, and he didn’t want to make it awkward. </p><p>And so he let it be, despite how much he wanted to intertwine his fingers with hers. How would she react if he did?</p><p>Finally, they arrived at the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Adrien could just smell the freshly baked pastries from outside. His col shivering surrendered to the warm feeling of entering Marinette’s residence. </p><p>Marinette came through the back door of the bakery as she greeted her parents, and the two children rushed up the stairs and finally into her room. </p><p>She plopped herself onto the chair in front of her computer, holding up a game console. “How about another round of Ultimate Mecha Strike III?”</p><p>Adrien frowned. “But you always beat me!”</p><p>“Yeah, I know. That’s what makes it fun,” Marinette responded with a giggle. </p><p>“Hey! Mind you, I got better!” The boy crossed his arms as he picked up a game console and Marinette set up the game. </p><p>“Okay, but so have I,” she replied precociously. </p><p>The whole afternoon, the two continued playing video games. Marinette would screech as she claimed victory in most of the rounds, yet again, but Adrien would never go easy on her. Seeing Marinette defeated was the best. She would get so heated and lay her face flat on her desk, her arms stretched out in front of her, and making Adrien laugh until his stomach hurt. </p><p>Just then, Adrien checked his watch once he noticed the sun begin to set. </p><p>“Oh, shoot! I’m really late! I should head home—“</p><p>“Wait.” Marinette grabbed his wrist before he could get up. “Can’t you stay over a bit longer?”</p><p>Adrien furrowed his brows with concern. “Is something wrong?”</p><p>“No, I just...” Marinette settled down her game console, saying timidly, “I like you, here. With me.” </p><p>The boy glanced at his watch again. “Hm... I’m sure I’ll be okay, as long as I make it home before dinner.” Then he shot his head up and gasped, “Wait a second! Did you say you like me? Did you confess your undying love for me?!”</p><p>Marinette turned beet-red. “No! I said I like you <em>here</em>, not that I like <em>you</em>! And besides… I wanted to do something with you.”</p><p>“Which is?”</p><p>The girl’s eyes sparkled as she grinned from ear to ear. “A tent, with blankets!”</p><p>Adrien mirrored the contagious grin on his friend’s face. “That is the most brilliant idea I’ve ever heard. Let’s do it!”</p><p>Marinette let out a squeak of excitement as she lifted the lid of a chest in her room. She yanked out thick blankets, grabbed the chairs, as she and Adrien assembled a tent, crafting a blanket roof between the chairs. They gathered books they’ve read and reread together, Marinette’s stuffed animals that she had sown herself, and lots and lots of pillows. </p><p>“Oh! Almost forgot one more thing.” Marinette shuffled through her drawers, then passed Adrien a note. </p><p>The boy unfolded the piece of paper as he read the handwritten text aloud. “What’s this? <em>Mort-gage</em>?”</p><p>“Mortgage,” Marinette corrected gently. “From here on out, I’m never taking this tent down. Otherwise, we’d have to file for four closures,” she said confidently as she held up four fingers.</p><p>Adrien cocked his head to one side. “Is that how it works?”</p><p>The girl replied with a shrug as she hummed an “I don’t know”. Adrien then mirrored her shrug. He made his way into the tent, and Marinette followed as she turned on a flashlight. </p><p>Adrien was getting way too comfortable in the tent. The pillows greeted him warmly, his eyelids becoming heavy. The last thing he saw was Marinette’s nose dusted with freckles, and the last thing he felt was his overwhelming gratitude.</p><p>It’s nice to have a friend. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Light pink sky, up on the roof</em>
</p><p><br/>
<em>Sun sinks down, no curfew</em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I thought I’d find you up here.”</p><p>Adrien peeked his head up from the loft that led him to Marinette’s rooftop balcony. The view from here was stunningly tremendous. He sometimes wished he could live in a cozy home like Marinette’s, which included a balcony and sweet-scented pastries, and maybe also a familiar, welcoming smile (or, actually, make that a total of three welcoming smiles). </p><p>She looked straight ahead, admiring the beauty of the late afternoon and the mid-spring breeze. The sky turned a beautiful light pink as the sun sank down to hide beneath the trees and the buildings of Paris. </p><p>Adrien didn’t want to worry about his curfew. Today, there was no curfew. There was only him and Marinette. </p><p>“Let’s play twenty questions,” Marinette blurted. </p><p>Adrien simply replied, “Ask away.” </p><p>“Do you feel nervous about graduation?”</p><p>Adrien glanced at his friend with curiosity, only for Marinette to not make eye contact as she continued to look up at the pink clouds. </p><p>“Yes,” he responded . “Next question.”</p><p>“Does the uncertainty of the future give you anxiety?”</p><p>“Marinette, what is this—“</p><p>“Yes or no?”</p><p>Adrien frowned but answered regardless. “Yes.”</p><p>“Do you have any exact plans for the future?”</p><p>Adrien paused before finally deciding on an answer. “No, not really.”</p><p>“Have you been stressed out lately? Just about everything that’s happening now and what’s to come.”</p><p>“Yeah... I have.”</p><p>School had been very overwhelming for the two of them. Both their schedules were filled. Adrien would wonder at times how both of them kept a level head all the time. </p><p>But then he realized, they didn’t. And in reality, they never have; people were really only good at hiding how stressed they really were. </p><p>And so were they. </p><p>Adrien turned to Marinette in attempts to meet his eyes with hers, and to his relief, it worked. “Now it’s my turn to ask a question.”</p><p>Marinette pursed her lips. “Fine.”</p><p>“What’s been stressing you out?”</p><p>Her eyes scanned over the cityscape, her lips beginning to tremble. “The fact that things are changing. We’re graduating really soon. Will you... will you even be a part of my future?”</p><p>“What kind of a question is that? Of course I will—“</p><p>“I answered your question,” Marinette said. “Now answer mine.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“Do you like me?”</p><p>The question caught Adrien off guard, barely by a pinch, but he knew his answer already. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re my friend.”</p><p>Marinette gave him an unamused expression. “No, Adrien. Do you <em>like like</em> me? As more than a friend.”</p><p>Adrien felt his heart pound, cold sweat running down his back and tension washing over him. </p><p>This was it, the thing he’d been afraid to tell her. But he wouldn’t give up the chance if it meant he’d finally be honest with his feelings. </p><p>“I... I’d say more than just <em>like like</em>.”</p><p>Marinette stayed silent as if waiting for Adrien to continue. </p><p>He took a deep breath in, then exhaled slowly as he spoke. “Honestly... I’ve been wanting to tell you, Marinette, but... even thinking about how to tell you stressed me out more than anything.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>He nodded shyly. “Yeah.”</p><p>Marinette sighed with a soft smile. “Me too.”</p><p>“Huh?”</p><p>“It stressed me out too. All I wanted was to tell you, but I didn’t know if you felt the same way. And... it stresses me out even more that we won’t be as close after high school.”</p><p>“No, Marinette. That’s not true. That’ll never be true. I promise, we’ll always be together.”</p><p>Her eyes began to puff red as tears rolled down her cheeks, voice trembling. “You better mean it, Agreste, or I swear to God.”</p><p>“I’d never lie to you. Ever.”</p><p>Something gave Adrien the nerve to brush his hand against Marinette’s. </p><p>No, he wouldn’t allow just a simple touch like that. Not this time. He wanted to hold her hand and embrace its warmth, he always had, even way back in primary school. </p><p>Adrien glanced down at her hand, slowly intertwining his fingers with hers. His hand was trembling, but that didn’t matter. He wiped the tear from Marinette’s cheek.</p><p>“We’ll be together after graduation, and beyond that. I promise,” he reassured. </p><p>Marinette rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. His words reassured her enough, a soft smile surfacing her face. </p><p>Adrien released a sigh of relief. </p><p>It’s nice to have a friend. </p><p>A friend who also happened to be the love of his life. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Church bells ring, carry me home</em>
</p><p><br/>
<em>Rice on the ground looks like snow</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The chime of the wedding bells felt too surreal. Their friends and wedding guests cheered joyfully and sprinkled rice on the ground. Adrien couldn’t help but recall the days when he and Marinette would walk home together after school during the cold winters. </p><p>The rice on the ground. It looked just like snow. </p><p>The apartment they had rented may have been small and compact, but each and every day they shared was remarkable; with Marinette, it always was. It didn’t matter what they did.</p><p>“Adrien, promise me you won’t eat the last couple cookies in the stash like the last time,” Marinette asserted as she dried her hair with a towel. </p><p>“I won’t,” he stated simply, pursing his lips as he cocooned himself with the blanket. The moonlight illuminated the bedsheets.</p><p>“You’re bluffing,” she narrowed her eyes. </p><p>Adrien let out a short breath of laughter. “Okay, maybe a little. But how about we make an exchange?”</p><p>“What exchange?”</p><p>He sat up from the bed as he grinned from ear to ear. “I won’t eat all the cookies <em>if</em> we make a blanket tent, right now.”</p><p>Marinette, who had been combing her hair, came at a halt. She only managed to reply with a snort and a barely audible “What?”</p><p>“Like the old times.” Adrien peeled himself out of bed as he scooped up the blanket and gathered the chair and some pillows. </p><p>Marinette only stared in awe. “You were serious.”</p><p>“What, you think that was a joke?”</p><p>“<em>You’re</em> a joke,” she smirked, as Adrien playfully threw a pillow at her that was followed by a hearty laugh.</p><p>She caved, though. As they finally assembled their tent, Marinette needed one last thing. She shuffled through her dresser and found a piece of paper, handing it to Adrien. </p><p>“<em>Mort-gage</em>,” she stressed in a serious tone.</p><p>“So we don’t have to file for <em>four closures</em>,” Adrien recited back, holding up four fingers. </p><p>The two of them shoved their way into the tent, failing to repress their laughter; they could hardly fit inside. Marinette lightly elbowed Adrien, only for him to overdramatize and collapse onto the pillows, and only for the entire tent to collapse with him. </p><p>“Adrien! Look what you did!” she laughed, gripping tightly to her abdomen. </p><p>He pulled her down with him as the two of them became a disheveled pile of mess on the cold floor.</p><p>“We should sleep down here tonight,” Adrien suggested jokingly. </p><p>“And have back and neck problems the next morning? No, thank you,” Marinette yanked the pillow that rested below Adrien’s head, followed by a soft thud of his head making contact with the solid floor. He let out a grunt of pain as Marinette giggled victoriously. </p><p>She flopped onto their bed, Adrien and their tent pillows followed. He felt his eyelids feel heavy. The last thing he saw were the same familiar freckles that sprinkled the bridge of his lady’s nose. The last thing he felt was his gratitude. His love.</p><p>It would be like this the whole weekend, just the two of them in bed, together. There was no pressure to be anywhere, to have anything else, or to be anyone else. Adrien had lived a humble life since marrying Marinette, and if simple meant he’d be with her like this, then simple was more than enough.</p><p>It’s nice to have a friend. </p><p>A friend and more. A wonderful wife, a soulmate. </p><p>Someone who had his back, every day.  </p><p>Someone who felt like home. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading. As always, comments (constructive criticism, etc.) are always welcome. </p><p>Also PLEASE listen to the song and weep as much as I did when I realized just how fitting it is for Adrienette. </p><p>(Please, I beg. I’ve been on an Adrienette high and I just... I wanna cry with someone.)</p><p>Tumblr: sae-what</p></blockquote></div></div>
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